Traffic backups formed Monday morning on Interstate 90 as a weeklong closure of three westbound lanes disrupted the commute - but they were not as bad as originally expected.

By 6:40 a.m. a three-mile backup had formed, but that had shortened to two miles by about 7:40 a.m. By 8 a.m. the backups had virtually disappeared.

The lane closures, to allow replacement of aging expansion joints between Bellevue and Mercer Island, were originally expected to cause seven-mile backups and one-hour delays as the morning progressed.

But it appears many commuters followed transportation officials' advice to find alternate routes to work, use public transportation, telecommute or take the week off, if possible.

Many Metro buses from Bellevue to Seattle were packed, and some ended up leaving people behind because they ran out of room for additional passengers.

Normal commuting conditions were reported on alternate routes, such as Highway 520.

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This is a developing news story. More information will be posted as it becomes available.